Columbia

You see, Columbia isn’t your typical American city. It’s a giant, floating city that may as well be a fortress.

In fact, it isn’t entirely American; it seceded from the Union and floated away to be independent. However, don’t be mistaken; Columbia is distinctly American and ever so perfectly captures the atmosphere of the era.

Players assume the role of Booker Dewitt, a detective who is indebted to the wrong people, and is given a simple task to absolve his problems: “Bring us the girl, and wipe away the debt.”

The girl in question is named Elizabeth, and is the daughter of a man revered as a prophet named Comstock.

Unfortunately, in order to keep this review spoiler-free, I can’t really delve in to the intricacies of the story any further.

However, I will say this: Elizabeth is one of the most delicately crafted characters in the history of interactive entertainment.

You will walk away from Infinite thinking that your best friend was with you the whole way; she feels that real.

When all is said and done, Infinite brings the series full circle, and either could be the end, or a new beginning entirely. It has a twist arguably better than BioShock’s.

Ship shape

The gameplay in Infinite is arguably the main allure in addition to the story. You have your standard array of weapons: machine guns, sniper rifles, pistols, shotguns, etc. Each of these can be upgraded as time goes by at vending machines throughout Columbia.

The world around you – and the dead bodies of fallen foes – is filled to the brim with items to find, loot, and uncover, secrets to track down, safes to unlock, and hidden audio recordings to listen to.

I thoroughly enjoyed soaking up the world of Columbia, which has a beautiful architectural style and an incredible identity. Walking around the world, you truly have stepped in to a time machine bringing you back in time a century.

The fires of World War I haven’t yet been ignited, yet you can feel the isolationist American atmosphere. The social commentary by Elizabeth and other characters you encounter all adds up to create an incredibly lifelike world that you’re going to miss dearly when it’s over.

Previous titles in the series focused on DNA-altering powers known as plasmids which do return in Infinite, but under a new name: Vigors.

Vigors are the same as plasmids, with the exception of how they are consumed. Plasmids were a friendly injection into your arm, whereas Vigors are just a drink that Booker downs rather quickly (I can’t imagine the taste).

Classics such as electricity and fire return, but new ones abound, such as Murder of Crows, which can send an army of crows toward your enemies, or have them laying in wait for an ambush.

I rather enjoyed the new array of powers, but I found myself sticking to the classic electric bolt to take care of my enemies.

My personal favorite aspect of Infinite was, as previously mentioned, simply taking the time to soak up the world.

While Columbia doesn’t have quite the same exploration factor as Rapture, I found myself much more eager to explore every nook and cranny of Columbia.

Rapture always had a sense of urgency about it; as such, I didn’t feel very inclined to wander off of the main path. Columbia is almost screaming for you to observe every pixel of its delicately crafted beauty, and is most definitely deserving of that demand.

Especially on PC at max settings, the entire world is simply breathtaking. Every building has an innate level of polish. All textures are beautifully presented. Each and every environment is delicately crafted with the highest level of consideration.

Really, I could go on and on forever about how beautiful Columbia is. The many delays were most definitely worth every agonizing second.

Lastly, the soundtrack is incredible. While age-old tricks do appear and feel a tad dated, such as a generic end of a sound loop when all enemies are dead, nothing negates the experience.

Everything about Infinite is simply incredible.

Verdict

BioShock Infinite is arguably one of the best games you’ll play this year. And, even more arguably, one of the greatest games you’ll ever play.

The story takes risks, and because of it, provides one of the most powerful narrative experiences in the history of the game industry.

All of the signature BioShock gameplay is intact, and you’ll have no problem jumping in.

My only two minor complaints are that the game, even though I ended up with a solid twelve hours, felt a bit too short, and that there didn’t seem to be as much of an emphasis on vigors as there were with plasmids in previous titles.

I actually forgot that they were there for several portions of the game.

Petty issues aside, BioShock Infinite is one of the best purchases you can possibly make. Do yourself a favor and pick it up now, preferably on PC if your rig is up to the challenge.

Rate this:

Share this around:

Like this:

Related

I'm an American from steamy Louisiana, one of the most electronically deprived areas of the United States. I've gamed since I was four years old as a result, and plan to do it onto my deathbed.
I discovered I could write in June of 2010 when I started a little site called Fans of The Genre with a few friends, and that eventually collapsed three months after due to social lives kicking in. No less than two weeks after that I discovered OXCGN via the community gamer gab competition, and become a staff member shortly after. In February of 2011 I was welcomed to the Editorial staff, then in March of 2012 I was promoted to co-owner... and here I am!